Chef Lane: Twice Baked Potato Shepherd’s Pie

When I was growing up, my mom and I would design dresses together, then we would go to the fabric store and find patterns that matched our vision. Frequently, we would end up with 3 patterns, and would piece those together to fit my dream dress. Lately, I’ve started doing that with my cooking.

I started twice baked potatoes today, then realized I wanted something else. Like…shepherd’s pie. But I wanted twice baked potatoes, too. Then it hit me. I could make both! Twice baked potato shepherd’s pie. And you know what? It is delicious! Here’s how you do it.

4 large baking potatoes

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup beef stock or broth

2 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire, eyeball it

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.

When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes.

While your potatoes are cooling, add oil to hot pan with beef. Season meat with salt and pepper. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

While your meat is cooking, slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add milk, butter, salt, pepper. Smash until well blended and creamy. (To save your skins, use a knife to cut around the flesh of the potato. That will help you scoop it out. Leave a strip of flesh inside the skin, so the skin holds together.)

In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together 2 minutes–stir constantly so that it doesn’t stick. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables and cook for a minute.

Prep your skins in a casserole dish, then spoon the meat and gravy mixture into the potato skins, filling them to level–don’t overfill. Top each one with the desired amount/height of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika, then broil until the potatoes are browned.